ductivity,” said Allison Scott, head of construction in-
tegrated marketing at Autodesk. “As the cost of
labor continues to increase and firms look to be-
come even more efficient, technology can enable
better collaboration and ultimately lead to more pre-
dictable outcomes. There is also opportunity in un-
tapped pools of talent such as tradeswomen,
veterans, and young people looking for an alterna-
tive to the traditional four-year university.”
Scott noted that 29 percent of firms report they
are investing in technology to supplement worker
duties. One-fourth of firms report they are using cut-
ting-edge solutions, including drones, robots and 3-
D printers. Meanwhile, 23 percent of firms report
they are taking steps to improve jobsite perform-
ance by relying on lean construction techniques,
using tools like Building Information Modeling and
doing more off-site prefabrication.

Even as the industry works to address labor
shortages, 44 percent of firms report they are in-
creasing construction prices and 29 percent are put-
ting longer completion times into their bids for new
work because of the lack of workers, putting future
development and infrastructure projects at risk. As-
sociation officials called on the federal government
to boost funding for career and technical education.

They also called on federal leaders to allow more im-
migrants to enter the country to work in construc-
tion, let construction students at community and
career colleges qualify for federal Pell Grants, and
make it easier for firms to establish apprenticeship
and other training programs.

Contractors... A Change Order
You Can’t Ignore.

Are you ready?
© CAN STOCK PHOTO / WELCOMIA
New financial statement reporting standards
starting year-end 2019 won’t wait. If you need
GAAP financial statements and aren’t ready
for the FASB-mandated change, your ability
to get bonding and bank loans may be
impacted – and not in a good way.

Two-step seminar series for contractors
and their financial officers:
Step 1 Overview
May 22 in Boca Raton
June 12 in Miami
Step 2 “How To”
July 10 in Boca Raton
July 16 in Miami
To register visit:
www.shavell.net/beready Your Guide Through the New GAAP
7900 Glades Road, Suite 360
Boca Raton, FL 33434
info@shavell.net 561-997-7242
Florida Construction News — OCTOBER 2019 – 9